Western culture is funny when it comes to respecting the new role of motherhood. It was apparent that my community here lacked support for mothers, so I decided to take all of my training and knowledge and apply it to helping moms in their postpartum period. Though there's plenty of room for the practical side of celebrating the fourth trimester, I like my life with a bit of "woo woo" sprinkled in.
Back in March I had the pleasure of attending a holistic postpartum doula training. I learned how to do many things, but our focus was based on the mother roasting traditions around the world.
Mother roasting is a universal practice that … [Read more...]

Ahhh spring! A time for butterflies, flowers, and babies. As we rejoice in all the beauty that mother nature has gifted us with, Spring is often a time to celebrate life. As people prepare for festivals of music and road trips, the season is often kicked off with my favorite type of gathering: birth and baby expos!
"The Natural Birth and Baby Expo is a unique event for the whole family. This year's Expo will include: a baby wearing pavilion where you can try on different types of carriers, raffles and giveaways, a walk through home birth exhibit, special speaker presentation for expecting and established parents, and an appearance by the … [Read more...]

I'm planning this trip to Kentucky to visit my best friend and my mom's side of the family. We're all actually from Florida, they just all managed to up and leave towards the same general area. Total weirdos if you ask me. I forgot it's still winter everywhere else. I don't know what I'm going to do in the snow. And I'm taking my kids and braving it alone and I'm terrified I might explode.
Both from anticipation and anxiety.
But I am gathering supplies for the Once Upon a Time sampler so I'll be picking up cross stitch here soon. I actually have half the colors already and the necessary needles, it was just a matter of getting the fabric … [Read more...]

My best friend is pregnant. It was this big secret for a while, but she's been outed on Facebook so I'm finally allowed to squeal with joy at the top of my lungs. She's the lovely lady who accompanied in my birth experience for my youngest, but she's also bee my best friend since 2004. I'm diffidently excited because she's probably the best person ever. I think Arianna would make a wonderful mother! She's so good with kids, and she's the most honest and real gal I've ever had the pleasure to meet.
Unfortunately, I can't attend the birth. I'm so sad! It's an impossible task no matter how I have it planned. Knowing my luck, her baby would be … [Read more...]

Today is the launch of an awesome book. Natural Birth Stories is a guide for real moms to be inspired and empowered in their journey towards a positive birth experience. This book is filled with real wisdom from moms who've already endured the awesome experience of natural childbirth.
How do I find a great obstetrician or midwife to support my natural birth?
Which childbirth class should I take to prepare for a natural birth?
What pregnancy diet plan and exercises should I use for a natural birth?
How should I write a birth plan for a natural hospital birth or a home birth?
What should be on my hospital bag or home birth kit … [Read more...]

I thought I should hurry and get this online as soon as possible because my baby bliss is starting to fade. Instead the intimidation of going from one child to two is settling in right next to the crazy hormone surges that accompany baby blues.
In case you'd forgotten, my pregnancy this time around was absolutely miserable and I was in so much pain I had tried every form of natural induction from home known to the internet. Last Friday I was crampy all day. I was still living life as usual, just a little uncomfortable. Around 9:30 pm I started to have painful contractions about 10 minutes apart. I went ahead and told Hutch about them, but … [Read more...]

A little over two years ago I received an invitation to take part in a journey to make childbirth normal. The midwife who ran the birth center where I had my own daughter found me on Facebook and asked me if I was interested in becoming a midwife's assistant. I thought I would die just then!
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However, the journey was short lived. I was only making $100 per birth and this was unacceptable to my husband. In case you don't know, this was a 12+ hour shift. Though I had set up 24/7 on-call childcare for when he needed to be somewhere (Amanda if you read this thank you so much), I too felt it was a tad bit unfair considering all the work … [Read more...]

Shary's roles in life include that of a wife, mom, and teacher. This space has been revived for many reasons, but it's mostly a way for me to document things I enjoy. Sometimes I'll share a recipe, DIY, or an experience. Other times I might ramble about the magical adventures of my life. Either way it's sure to be enjoyable.